The state-run scrap collection station was formerly the granary of Changhe Commune, but this granary is often plagued by rats, and it is estimated that the ground is prone to moisture because it is next to the back mountain, which is really not suitable for grain storage.

Therefore, after the new secretary of the commune took office two years ago, the first thing he did was to apply to the county revolutionary committee for a special fund to rebuild the granary of the commune.

As for the old granary, it has become the current scrap yard. Rats have little impact on waste storage.

After the huge old granary was converted into a scrap collection station, the county state-owned waste collection station arranged a staff member and temporarily recruited a person in the local area, which shows that the workload is really not large on weekdays.

Now that the door of the acquisition station is locked like this, the door is empty, and only Han Chunlei and his brothers are left. Han Chunlei was thinking about the whereabouts of today's dinner and accommodation, so he could only go to his aunt's house to have a meal and make up for the night.

I wanted to think about it, but Han Chunlei still hesitated. Although his aunt's house is from Hongqi Village, and Hongqi Village is the location of Changhe Commune, and the more than a dozen villages under its jurisdiction are the richest in Hongqi Village, it does not mean that his aunt's family has a comfortable life. To say that when his aunt first married his eldest uncle, he was really a good man, after all, his eldest uncle was a teacher at Changhe Middle School, serving iron rice bowls, eating public food, and receiving a hard salary.

But a few years ago, his eldest uncle was more radical in his thinking, talked nonsense after drinking, was seized by the rebels, criticized and tortured for more than three months, and finally sent to prison. It's been four or five years now, and it hasn't come out yet.

At that time, Han Chunlei's cousin was only in the first year of junior high school, and the burden of the family fell on his aunt's shoulders. The school took pity on their family, so they asked his aunt to burn the boiler in the school temporarily, and received a temporary salary of seventeen or eighteen yuan a month. Although I have survived the past few years, life has not been easy. 、

My brothers used to eat and drink, not to mention causing trouble. The key is that in his memory, his aunt's house is still the house assigned to him by the school. There are dozens of families living in the building, and each family has only one room, and cooking or something is in the corridor. In the past, it was really inconvenient and embarrassing to stay overnight.

"Little brother, hey, hey, ...... over here"

At this time, Han Chunlei seemed to hear a voice not far behind him, as if he was greeting him.

He turned to see that in a small alley directly opposite the acquisition station, a short, thin man was waving at him.

Anyway, the acquisition station is also closed, and selling scrap is also tomorrow's business, so Han Chunlei picked up a flat shoulder and took his younger brother to the opposite alley.

Looking closer, this short and thin man is not very old, at most twenty-five or sixteen, and he is also dressed in national defense green, looking at his appearance, but the two mustaches are quite individual.

"Little brother, are you going to sell scrap?"

Han Chunlei didn't know the details of this person, so he could only do the same as what he said to the acquisition station just now, so that the other party would dispel the idea of bullying him to run a single gang.

"It turns out that you are from Chai Jiawu, and my second aunt's family is also yours. Does Han Xigui know? ”

As soon as the mustache said this, Han Chunlei knew that this family, after all, was from a village, and instantly eliminated most of his vigilance.

Seeing Han Chunlei nodding, the mustache smiled and introduced himself enthusiastically: "Little brother, my name is Zhang Xilu, what is your name?"

Han Chunlei didn't hide it, and said his name.

Zhang Xilu pointed to the purchase station with the door locked on the opposite side, and then pointed to Han Chunlei's flat shoulder, and asked, "Did the people from the state-run store tell you that you got off work today and asked you to come tomorrow?"

Han Chunlei snorted and asked, "You know so well?"

"Hey. These people in the state-run store are all old men, and I squat here every once in a while, but at this point in time, these two guys are off work early. I know their virtues all too well. Zhang Xilu said with a smile.

When Han Chunlei heard this, he was slightly surprised, and he squatted here every once in a while, could it be that this guy was a broker? Hearing this, there is a second scrap collection station in Changhe Commune.

Sure enough, when I heard Zhang Xilu ask again: "Little brother, are these waste products in a hurry?" I'll introduce you to a place, and the price given for collecting rags is one and a half times higher than that of state-run stores, can you sell them?"

Han Chunlei almost understood, and asked, "A private scrap station?"

Zhang Xilu nodded.

Han Chunlei said with a smile: "This doesn't seem to be allowed, right? This is digging a corner of socialism, be careful of being caught and accusing you of a speculative trick!"

Zhang Xilu was slightly shocked at first, but then looked at the smile on Han Chunlei's face, relaxed a lot, and said: "What's this? It's also in our small place of Changhe Commune, I heard people say that further south, some places are more violent, and there are people pushing carts to sell clothes and pants on the street in broad daylight, hehe, it is said that even silk stockings dare to sell along the street." ”

Han Chunlei knew where he said to go further south, but he didn't want to say anything, so he was in a hurry to dispose of the waste, and then find a place to eat something to cushion his stomach. Then find a way to solve the problem of accommodation.

Since there are places where the price can be higher, why not? He is not a pedantic person.

"Lead the way. ”

Han Chunlei picked up the burden and took his younger brother and left with Zhang Xilu.

On the way, I had a brief chat with Zhang Xilu, this guy is really a broker, especially when outsiders come to Hongqi Village, what to lead the way, introduce buyers and sellers, help people run errands, he does all these jobs. Anyway, if you do your work and do something, you have to pay him a benefit fee. He doesn't take charge of the business of the locals, first, the locals basically don't need him to introduce or lead the way, and second, the locals are easy to repay the debts and not give benefits. Outsiders don't dare not give benefits, after all, compared with outsiders, Zhang Xilu is also the head snake of Hongqi Village.

Like Han Chunlei's scrap trading and introduction benefit fee, Zhang Xilu asked for a benefit fee of three cents and five cents. It's not a popsicle these days. The price of pork in this area of Changhe Commune alone, when it is low, pork is four cents a catty, and when it is high, pork is eight cents a catty.

Therefore, the benefit fee of three cents and five cents, you can buy about five or six taels or even a pound of pork alone.

At this time, the sun had set early, and the sky was gradually getting darker, following Zhang Xilu on the cement road of Changhe Commune, looking at the towering telephone poles on both sides of the roadside, looking at the supply and marketing cooperatives that had long been closed, or the barber shops and photo studios that were closing, Han Chunlei suddenly felt a little like he had returned to the original era. It should be said that it was an urban village of that era.

"Here we are, here it is!"

After rounding several small alleys, I finally entered a dilapidated courtyard where several women were busy. They were sorting through the piles of bottles and jars, torn copper, torn iron, torn sandals, waste paper, old newspapers, and so on.

At first glance, it looks like a family-style scrap yard.

"Isn't the scene shocking, let me tell you, a few villages in the Puyan Commune next door, as well as a few villages in the Liangjiadun Commune, their waste products are secretly sent to us. It's not the state-run station, it's here!"

Zhang Xilu proudly pointed to the waste products in the yard and said, "See, these are only collected in half a month, at least half of them were introduced here by me Zhang Xilu." ”

Speaking of excitement, Zhang Xilu stood on tiptoe in Han Chunlei's ear and whispered, "This Boss Cao has a wide range of roads, I heard that he has relatives in the county who also make waste in private, and I don't know what kind of way it is, and he can make a fortune by making waste products." Eh, those who have a way to get rich are rich!"

There are many ways to make money from waste acquisition, but Han Chunlei is not too curious, because one of his college classmates was assigned to the environmental protection department after being admitted to the civil service, and he talked about the doorway of garbage all day long, what renewable resources, what metal secondary decomposition, what electronic waste recycling, etc...... Anyway, Han Chunlei is not a professional, so he didn't study it carefully, so he just listened to it.

"Xilu, you're here again?"

A hearty voice came from a room in the courtyard, and as soon as the door opened, a middle-aged man of forty-five or sixteen years old walked out, wearing a really good shirt that is popular in the city nowadays, and he looked quite fashionable.

"Yes, Uncle Tomone. ”

Zhang Xilu introduced Han Chunlei and introduced Cao Yougen, the owner of this private scrap yard.

Cao Yougen called a woman who sorted out the waste to help unload the things, and then personally counted Han Chunlei's two loads of waste products, the statistics were very detailed, and he counted them over and over again, for fear of overcounting.

About half an hour later, Cao Yougen said to Han Chunlei while dialing the abacus, "Broken sandals and toothpaste skins are not worth much, but they are a bit of broken copper and iron, I will calculate it for you at a price that is one and a half percent higher than that of the state-owned acquisition station, a total of three yuan and seven cents and eight cents, and I will make up two cents for you to make up the whole one, three yuan and eight." How about I'll give you three whole dollars in food stamps, and then I'll give you eight cents?"

Three pieces and eight cents?

This is within the scope of Han Chunlei's acceptance, and the junior workers in the factory are only 312 yuan in wages this year, and the daily salary is only more than one yuan. Pork is only four or five cents a catty. Compared with the cost of five catties of jelly beans, in just over two hours, the jelly beans in the village are exchanged for waste, and the back and forth is only a few dozen miles of mountain roads, both in terms of time and profit, the return ratio is already very high.

Although there is a shortage of materials at present, the purchasing power of the RMB is very strong.

So when Han Chunfeng heard the other party quote the recycling price of three yuan and eight cents, the nine-year-old child's eyes were green! How many catties of fat pork can this buy!

After listening to Cao Yougen's words, Han Chunlei thought about it and said, "Boss Cao, you still have to give money, I have to stay in a hostel at night!"

"What? live... Staying in a hostel?" Cao Yougen looked at the tattered teenager in front of him with some surprise. Zhang Xilu also looked at Han Chunlei in surprise, and asked, "Brother, you have only earned three yuan and eight cents, and you have to finish it in one go?"

Han Chunlei was stunned for a moment and asked, "What do you mean, is it expensive to stay in a hostel?"

To be honest, he really doesn't know how much a night in the current hostel is, and he thinks that the price at the moment won't be too expensive, right?

However, Zhang Xilu still smashed his little beauty.

Zhang Xilu said: "We have only one state-run hotel in Changhe Commune, which is the Changhe Guest House next to the supply and marketing cooperative. A large bunk for ten people, a bed is nine cents, and a bed for six people is a two. As for the four-person room, you and your brother have one bed for each person, and it happens to be for nothing today! As for the two-person room, don't worry about it, because they can only stay when leaders from other places come. ”

Han Chunlei: "......"

Well, I've seen it for a long time, I really don't know.

It seems that in front of the state-run guest house, the purchasing power is so strong that the three yuan and eight cents cannot afford to sleep in the standard room.

Zhang Xilu looked at Han Chunlei's stunned appearance and said with a smile, "There is also a Chase shop for twenty people, but it is very dirty and smelly, and a bed costs five cents, which can be used for one night." ”

Han Chunlei nodded, "That's all there is to it." ”

Thinking about sleeping for a night, the two catties of pork are going to be gone, and I feel distressed for a while.

Zhang Xilu said: "Go, pick up your burden, I'll take you to the guest house." This time lead the way, free of charge. ”

After speaking, he stretched out his hand with Han Chunlei.

Han Chunlei was counting the money paid to him by Cao Yougen at this time, and when he saw Zhang Xilu stretching out his hand, he counted three cents and five cents to him.

"Brother honest man!"

Zhang Xilu took the money and said with a smile: "Brother, give me your letter of introduction!"

Han Chunlei was stunned, "What letter of introduction?"

Zhang Xilu rolled his eyes and said with disdain: "You are really dirty buns, didn't your village chief tell you to live in a guest house and ask the village to give you a letter of introduction when you asked you to sell scrap?"

In fact, Zhang Xilu had already seen through it early, it was not the village department of Chaijiawu that asked Han Chunlei to sell waste products at all, he didn't know that Han Chunlei came from such waste products, but he was sure that none of the village departments sent people to sell waste products and let him live in a hotel. What a luxury and waste!

Han Chunlei shook a little embarrassed, I really didn't know that there was a letter of introduction, okay, I came back to 1979, and I had a long experience. When you go out, you have to open a letter of introduction!

Han Chunfeng said weakly in the back, "Brother, my sister went to the county to do errands that year, and she found the village to open an introduction letter and residence hostel." ”

Han Chunlei pouted, then why didn't you say it earlier? Why bother to make your brother so embarrassed?

"If you don't have a letter of introduction, you won't have a letter of introduction, I'll take you to a place where you can spend the night without a letter of introduction!"

Out of the small courtyard where the waste was collected, Zhang Xilu stretched out five fingers, gestured his palm to Han Chunlei, and said, "Lead the way, five cents!"

Han Chunlei stretched out two fingers, "Two points at most, I'll inquire about one more point myself!"

Zhang Xilu said: "Okay, deal!"

Soon, Zhang Xilu and his brothers drilled out of a few alleys, returned to the main cement road, and then almost walked to the vicinity of the market on the 15th day of the 15th day of the Changhe Commune, and came to the door of a bathhouse.

Han Chunlei asked, "What are you doing here?"

Zhang Xilu said proudly: "It's rare and weird, isn't it? This bathhouse, you can take a bath during the day and at night, but no one will take a bath later, and you can spread a few layers of large bath towels on the ground to sleep in the dressing room." ”

Speaking of this, Zhang Xilu gestured with his hand to count the money, and said with a smile: "The key is to save money, you can take a bath and get some sleep, there are more people, and it is noisy, but it is cost-effective." When you go out, you can save it, Brother Chunlei!"

Han Chunlei listened to Zhang Xilu's words, nodded his head, and said: "You are right, in addition to the long return of knowledge, the more important thing is to meet you, Brother Xilu, I am really very happy." Brother Xilu, you have a good brain, and you have lived in Changhe Commune for a long time and are well connected in Hongqi Village, and it is not a long-term solution to always be a broker!"

Zhang Xilu smiled bitterly: "Brother, if you don't do this, what else can you do? First, there is no capital, and second, there is no way, just this, or do it secretly." ”

Han Chunlei snorted, looked at Zhang Xilu with an active brain, thinking about the little shock in Cao Yougen's waste yard today, and had a not very mature idea in his heart.